A clear answer is now available to the question of why the Tu-214 aircraft is required when Russia is already on the verge of producing the MC-21.
First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov in an interview with Vedomosti, said that the Tu-214 aircraft, despite the inefficiency of its engines, will become a true “safety cushion” in the implementation of plans for import substitution in the aviation industry. It has proven itself well as a special-purpose and cargo aircraft worldwide, so there is no need to worry about demand for this model.
In the publication, he was asked to comment on the federal aviation project, which aims to produce 994 civilian aircraft in Russia by 2030, and whether these figures are justified. According to Manturov, this number of aircraft is necessary for Russia, as, in addition to transporting the declared number of passengers, foreign aircraft that gradually go out of service will need to be replaced.
Here is where it gets interesting. Manturov spoke at length about the sanctions against the MC-21. Then he said, “Moreover, the Tu-214 should serve as a safety cushion in this regard, with plans to organize the production of about 20 aircraft per year by the end of 2026. Funds for this have already been allocated.”
The publication further asked: Is there any commercial sense in this, considering that the engines for this aircraft are very inefficient? Even Aeroflot, although planning to order the T u-214, won’t operate them itself.
Manturov replied, “In such decisions, two aspects are closely intertwined—economics and national security. For example, special-purpose aircraft will be produced in any case. Additionally, the Tu-214 has proven itself quite well as a cargo aircraft with various airlines worldwide, including Germany’s DHL. So I have no concerns about the demand for these aircraft.”
Just to give you a background on the above question, it is known that Aeroflot will take the first batch (11) of Tu-214s in a standard design, that is, technically it will be the same aircraft that is currently manufactured for special customers. The airline has waived the requirement for a two-member crew (currently there are three pilots in the Tu-214) but has set a condition to improve the passenger cabin (a total of 99 changes). Of course, this request will also be not accepted as it will push deliveries further.
Let us also talk a bit about the engine issue. Tu-214 flies with PS-90A engines which are certified by AR IAC and fully comply with international requirements for noise on the ground and emissions of harmful substances into the atmosphere. However, there are more efficient variants of this engine, the latest being the PS-90A3 and its improved version PS-90A3M. These are the Russian equivalents of the PS-90A2 which was an upgrade of PS-90A carried out by Russia and Pratt and Whitney.
The PS-90A2 engines with a thrust of 16,000 kgf were developed specifically for the Iranian specific T u-204SM, which received an AR MAK type certificate in December 2009, are more economical, the reliability of which was 1.5-2 times higher than the basic version PS -90A.
We have made a video on this engine. As in the case of the Aeroflot order, Russia does not probably want to integrate the latest versions right now as it will push the production.
If the engines are inefficient, can PD-14 be installed in Tu-214? The PD-14 engines are not suitable for the T u-214. Since it needs engines with a takeoff thrust of 16 tons. And the PD 14 produces only 14 tons of thrust.
These engines are for lighter aircraft such as the MS 21-300 and T u 204-300 (short fuselage).
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